Scottish News of the World editor charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice

BOB BIRD was kept in a Govan police station for hours before being arrested and released on bail.

THE former editor of the Scottish News of the World has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice in the Tommy Sheridan case.

Bob Bird was questioned by officers from Strathclyde Police over his “conduct” in relation to Sheridan’s 2006 defamation action against the now defunct paper.

He was detained at 7.30am yesterday in Glasgow and taken to Helen Street police office in Govan by officers from Operation Rubicon, Strathclyde Police’s inquiry into allegations of phone hacking, breach of data protection and perjury.

Father-of-two Bird, 56, was charged around four hours after entering the police station, arrested and later released on bail.

He gave evidence at Sheridan’s defamation action – which centred on the newspaper’s claims that the former Scottish Socialist Party leader was unfaithful to wife Gail with women including former escort girl Fiona McGuire.

He was also a witness at the trial in 2010 which saw Sheridan jailed for perjury.

A police spokewoman said yesterday: “Officers from Operation Rubicon arrested and charged a 56-year-old man with allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice in 2006, arising from his conduct at the time of the defamation action of Thomas Sheridan v News Group Newspapers Ltd.

“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”

Bird was the executive who stripped down to his underpants – to prove he was not wired – to view a video tape in the flat of Sheridan’s former friend, George McNeilage.

McNeilage then sold the tape – allegedly featuring Sheridan confessing to visiting a swingers’ club – to the paper for £200,000.

Less than a fortnight ago, former news editor of the Scottish News of the World Douglas Wight, 39, was charged with perjury during Sheridan’s 2010 trial and conspiracy to hack telephones.

Douglas Wight

And in May, PM David Cameron’s former communications chief Andy Coulson – the former editor of the UK edition of the News of the World – was charged with committing perjury at the same trial.

Sheridan said last night: “Mr Bird is the third News of the World executive to be charged with dishonesty in relation to my two court cases of 2006 and 2010.

“The fact that senior executives all now face serious charges gives me some satisfaction as my accusation of a conspiracy has been scoffed at and scorned for years.”

English MP Tom Watson, who led the fight to have the News of the World phone hacking investigation reopened, said: “This is yet another significant arrest and further evidence that the trial of Tommy Sheridan was completely unjust.

“The present situation is symptomatic of the whole investigation conducted against Mr Sheridan and Mrs Sheridan.

“People who gave evidence against them are being arrested on a fairly regular basis and that must have serious implications on the standard of evidence which convicted him.”

Sheridan’s solicitor Gordon Dangerfield said last night: “It would not be right to comment on individual charges but, as we have always said, there was a serious and wide-ranging criminal conspiracy against Tommy Sheridan.

“We look forward to the whole truth coming out at last.”

Bird is the former husband of Reporting Scotland anchor Jackie Bird.

After being freed on bail, he said: “I’m sad and disappointed that things have come to this today. I have always tried to do the right thing throughout my years in journalism and I will be denying the charge.”